The Necklace
by StormBrewers
Summary: A continuation of A Toppsyturvy World: Nine years after the Fourth Shinobi War and things had seem to mellow down. But behind the facade of treaties and reconciliation hides the revival of the spirit of vengeance. Will the promise of the alternate Sasuke regarding his necklace's ability to protect ring true? Or would it spark another kind of war? (Rating for mild violence)
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!  
**

* * *

**Prologue**

_Nine years after the Fourth Shinobi War_

A young man with blonde hair and cerulean eyes looked out into the town from the confinement of his glass windows. He was handsome with unique cat-like whiskers across his cheeks. Smiling, he retreated back into his leather chair, swinging it side-to-side in deep thought. His concentration was broken when a knock was heard outside his office. Beckoning the intruder in, the door opened to let two anbus enter.

"What have you gathered?" Naruto asked.

"Hokage, our intelligences have confirmed the rumor."

Naruto could feel the anbus stare behind the mask.

_"Sasuke Uchiha is indeed the new daimyo of the Village Hidden in The Grass."_


	2. Chapter 2: An Invisible Enemy

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Here's the second chapter. Hope you like it and thank you for the likes and reviews. You know yourselves.

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**CHAPTER TWO**

INVISIBLE ENEMY

The room was full of medical tools of all sorts. The floor tiled and the walls a dull white. It was as ashen white as the body lying horizontally on the dissecting table.

"What happened?" a pink-haired woman asked as she entered the room panting.

One medic answered her in a whisper, as if the dead would condemn them if it heard.

"We couldn't save her."

Sakura's eyes focused on the body. There were no visible bite marks or puncture wounds of any sort. No disfigurement, no trace of any poison- nothing. As if the patient had died a natural death. But she'd be a fool to think that it was a coincidence that 14 people had died a natural death within the past month. She'd rather believe that some of them died in an accident or an illness. _But no._ They all had died after a day of a seemingly harmless fever, all of them able-bodied except for the two elderly.

She looked at the tired faces of her medics, their eyes full of uncertainty and dread.

"Go back to the relatives, the archives- anywhere or anyone that can give us a clue. Leave no stone unturned. We'll find the culprit even if we die trying."

The medics wasted no time and got to work. Knowing their mentor, for Sakura Haruno, dying was the least of her worries.

* * *

She leafed through record books that outlived her for ninety years or so. Inside these books were valuable information on the medical history of the village: of who died and of what kind. She squinted, trying to focus on the letters. Five sleepless nights and her vision was failing her. Her refusal to take leave from hospital duties worsened her condition. She was tired, frustrated and hopeless.

Mustering up her strength, she reached out for the other book on the floor and continued.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Nothing." She had read them. Reread them. And still nothing.

"I can't." Her green eyes blurred as if reverting to a distant past. "I can't fail again." She gripped her chair trying to stand up so that she could get more books from the archives, but her hand failed her. Her body was at its limits.

_God, please help me. _

And as if an immediate answer to her call, the phone rang. She reached out and put the phone on loudspeaker.

" Haruno-sama, this is Kishi. I have good news. We think we've found the culprit-"

Right, there and then her body went slack.

* * *

Kishi jotted down the details that the relatives of the victims said of where and what the victims had done during their last days. She occasionally nodded to indicate that she was listening. It had been three days since the recent victim's husband had alerted them of important information. And now they were close to proving their suspicions.

"Did he say anything about which particular honey farm he was going to work for?" The man nodded. He was the son of one of the two elderly man that had died. He told her of the conversation that he had with his father and the address of the said farm.

Kishi thanked him and bid him goodbye.

She immediately ran to the hospital clutching her notebook in hand. She went straight to the room where Sakura was currently resting. Kishi found Sakura staring out of the window, but the papers on her hands betrayed her seemingly relaxed demeanor. She couldn't help but smile inwardly. Here she was after she had collapsed from low blood, and Sakura Haruno still failed to listen to the incessant comments of her students on the importance of rest.

"Haruno-sama, I have confirmed the location." Kishi went over to Sakura.

"It's near the Siren Lake," she continued. It was part of a protected area for nightingales.

"Tell me all about it."

"Well, all the victims were seen or connected to honey farms there. They either worked, bought or passed by there. We've analyzed a sample. Most of them came clean, except for a few with an unknown content: pollen from an unknown plant." Sakura beckoned her to continue.

"We've researched the place and found that recently a hybrid plant has been exported and have been kept there. It looked like the bees carried the pollen. But we can't understand why it became like this. We've interviewed the owners of the plants and they've told us that they had those plants for almost 2 years now. And based on their contracts, they were telling the truth."

Kishi closed her notebook and look expectantly at Sakura who was now tidying up the bed.

"Go and get five people."

Kishi nodded and left. She dropped by the counter and filled in the form for her mentor's release. When it came to everything, Sakura was a medical ninja even if she was also now a patient.

* * *

Sakura quietly observed the scene before her. Her medics had tested and proven that the plants were harmless except for those allergic to it. And according to records none of the victims had an allergy for that particular plant. Her eyes wandered observing the various plants that were lined up according to their kind. She stood up assessing each one of them. Her eyes stopped on a patch of soil midst a throng of bulb-shaped yellow flowers and called the attention of the owner.

"What was here before?" she asked, surprising the owner.

"A Bulbweed," he said, referring to the bulb-shaped flowers. "It died so we had to throw it away."

"Where did you throw it?"

"Near the lake." He was talking about the Siren Lake.

"Can you show it to us?"

The owner nodded and personally led them there. He gasped when he saw the Bulbweeds growing everywhere.

"Looks like, it wasn't completely dead," commented Kishi, "How come you didn't know?"

"We weren't allowed to dump our waste here anymore. So we- Achoo!" the owner scrunched up his nose.

"I'm-"

"Wear your masks!" Sakura exclaimed. After putting on hers she went near the flowers and noticed plenty of dead plants.

"It looks like the flowers are releasing a chemical in the air to kill all other competition to sunlight. Your Bulbweeds weren't positive of anything because they were well kept and weed free. However, this one's another case of natural selection."

"How come not all who had eaten the honey died?"

"It wasn't the pollen nor the honey." She squatted down and picked a plant that grew well near the Bulbweeds. "It was this."

The owner looked at the plant in confusion. "I have eaten that, and I'm still alive."

"The question is did you get those you've eaten from here? These plants seemed to have survived the chemical, so that means that they were counteracting it with another thing. I have worked with these plants and learned that it has amazing adaptive capabilities. Like any other species under a new threat completely foreign, it starts changing its properties."

"Are you saying it mutated?" Kishi asked. Sakura nodded.

"These plants are known for their anti-inflammatory and calming effects. And because it had recently been branded rare because of the change in climate, they are quite expensive these days. It seems like some of our patients either had direct access to this secret stash or just happened to come across them. Either way, it seems that the new defense mechanism isn't favorable to man."

The people stood there amazed and speechless. But all of the talk was useless unless they actually tested the plants. The medics took samples of the plants and tested them, comparing data with the normal one sold in the market. It took them another week to get the results since they had to try the plants on lab mice to see if their negative properties rang true. And according to the results, they weren't wrong.

Sakura called for a meeting to discuss about the matters at hand.

"We're going to have the place banned from anyone. Further researches should be done on the plants, to make sure it has nothing more up its sleeves."

A brunette raised her hand and asked, "Haruno-sama, we've already found the cause but we still have no cure yet."

"That-"

" – is answerable by us," a bald man interrupted as he entered the room. The owner was behind him. He moved forward and whispered an apology.

"These are the men who sold me the plants," he explained.

Sakura assessed them. They wore no head protectors but by their clothes it was clear that they were merchants from the Earth Country.

"I believe you are well informed of our issue here," Sakura spoke. The merchants smiled at the irritation in her voice and the calm façade she was showing,

"We've encountered mutated Sap plants before," he said. "And we know of a cure. It's called Snake Vines. It's a sure cure but it's gonna cost you a lot."

"How much?"

The merchants smiled. "A gold bar or two."

"What?! What kind of costs that much. "The brunette before exclaimed.

"Meijing." Sakura shushed her up. She apologized and sat back down.

"An effective one," the bald man answered Meijing's exclamation. "You need it. The deaths won't stop unless your bodies cope up with it. And you need to survive first before you can survive again."

Sakura sighed.

_We have no choice._

"Where can it be found?"

"That is the difficult one, you see," he stalled.

"It's in a town near the Village Hidden in the Grass. And might I add, there's one hell of a civil war going on."


	3. Chapter 3: Snake Vines

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

This Chapter is short sorry about that hahaha

Fun Fact: Houseflies hum in the key of f.

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**CHAPTER THREE**

SNAKE VINES

Sakura flashed her I.D at the guards outside the entrance of the town. Immediately, their stern demeanor changed into an apologetic one as one of them handed Sakura back her I.D. while the other guard opened the gate. As they entered the town, they immediately attracted the attention of everyone around them. Sakura and her 6 man-team wore long white hooded robes that kept the upper half of their faces hidden. This was a precaution. Although almost all medical-nins that had no village affiliation and of those in neutral countries just like the one she had stayed in for the past 8 years were considered neutral and free to practice hands-on anywhere, however this was a different story. The Village Hidden in the Grass has long been under a monarchy like most of the other villages. However, rebellions had risen in different parts of its territory after the last monarch was jousted out of his throne. And this particular village they were in was the birthplace and center of all the rebellions. Keeping their head gears hidden made it clear to the villagers as well as those pro-government that they, and their village, did not want anything to do with either groups.

The group stopped at a flower shop to ask around the place for the Herbal Garden where the rare plant was grown. The girl at the counter gave them directions after some subtle prompting. Without delay, they briskly walked to their destination.

"I'll make all transactions," Sakura said as they entered the herbal garden. It was a huge greenhouse and consisted of plants that were both familiar and strange. Sakura beckoned her group to stay behind her as she went over the counter. Quietly she reached for something behind her coat triggering a negative reaction from the person at the counter.

"Relax," Sakura said stopping the man from pushing a button under the counter that alerted all the guards inside the greenhouse. Slowly, Sakura pulled the thing that she had reached for revealing a cloth that covered a rectangular item. The man looked at it warily and at the 5 people behind Sakura. Hesitantly he nodded. Sakura unwrapped it revealing two gold bars.

"We came here to buy all your Snake Vine."

The man reached out and checked both bars if they were authentic. Sakura smiled spying the satisfied look from the man. The gold bars were only two of the tons and tons of gold bars hidden inside the treasury of their small but wealthy village. That was one of the reasons she had chosen that village to further train since medical devices that weren't available in the leaf village was available there. The man looked at her with a beaming face and pushed a button under the counter.

"Sally come here. We have costumers."

* * *

The medic-nins gawked at 'Sally' who was a 7 footer burly man. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and an apron that looked out of place on his scarred body. He reminded Sakura of Ibiki, their first examiner during the Chunnin Exam back when she was young.

Jiro, the man on the counter, smiled at their reaction. He talked as he led them to the far side of the greenhouse where all the rare plants were kept. It was double-locked and complete with security cameras.

"The name 'Sally' is a misnomer. My wife and I named him that out of a practical joke," he laughed. "We didn't know he would turn out to be so muscled!"

Sakura whipped her head towards Sally who was blushing now beside _his father_. They didn't look alike! His father was a skinny man with a beard while he-well we have discussed about that.

"He took after his mum," Jiro said, as if sensing the curiosity in the air that his visitors were emitting. Sally unlocked the gate and opened it, revealing rows and rows of herbal plants but one plant attracted their attention. Instead of being planted on a pot it grew on a patch of land where it intertwined on itself in stems that were as thick as her fist. It was kept in check by wires that were shaped into a snake.

"Snake Vine," Kiro said. He was one of Sakura students who were particularly good in herbiology.

"Nope that one's a practical joke too," Jiro smiled. He pointed to the post beside him where a group of thin vines tangled. "These are the Snake Vines."

"Do not be misled by its appearance," he sounded like a host showing a group of teenagers the monstrous beast that looked like a puffball of cuteness, "it may be small but it's called Snake Vine for something. You see once ingested it affects the body like snake venom: localized numbness to an eventual comatose state and temporary blindness. It sometimes feels like it's going to kill you more than cure you." He said matter-of-factly. "-but the side effects usually only last for one to two weeks. It completely wipes out any trace of the poison and its effects."

"A poison for a poison." Sakura looked at Sally who have until now been silent.

"We'll take it."

Jiro smiled and nodded at his son. Sally took a pair of scissors from his pocket and started cutting pieces of the vine. He put them on a bowl and weighed it according to the amount Sakura had given them. He bunched them together and put them on a medium sized bag and thrusted it towards to Sakura's hands.

"Wait," Kishi protested. "We gave you two gold bars!"

Jiro looked back at them with a serious expression on his face. "Yes, that's for two gold bars. Those vines that you see there have long been extinct or should have been. My family is the only herbalists lucky enough to have preserved them. Besides, you only need one drop to make it work. It works like a Hydrophis Belcheri Sea Snake's venom."

Sakura knew that snake well. She had encountered it during a mission in the Wave Country. The kage's only son was bit on the leg by the Sea Snake while going deep diving. They were lucky that the snake did not inject greater than a milligram and that their own medics were nearby. A few milligrams of the snake's venom could kill thousands of people.

"Thank you." Sakura said shaking Jiro's hand.

"No. Thank you. You should have that dried and pounded. My patients like it as tea." He leaned into her ear and whispered, "They find it better when it looks harmless."

Sakura smiled under her hood and signaled her team to depart but as she turned around to leave there was a big explosion that shook the whole greenhouse. They all ducked as some pots fell to the ground.

"What was that?" Meijing, the other female member of the team except for Sakura and Kishi, spoke.

Jiro and Sally ran out to see the commotion. Sakura and her team followed. They arrived to find that a thick smoke was rising from the market. The greenhouse was a few blocks away the market but the explosion was huge enough for the shock waves to reach them. Sally tried to get the attention of one of the running civilians to ask what happened.

"Men from the capital was able to slip through the city. Aiko's men intercepted them and a fight broke out."

Jiro looked at his son and nodded.

"Sally go and get our things," turning to Sakura he bowed, "I'm so sorry for the commotion here but we have to go. You visitors can go straight ahead in the direction where the other civilians are running. Here." He took a pass and gave it to her. "Show this to the guard near the forest. There's an exit to the city there. "

Sally met with his father. He seemed to be carry a heavy bag. Before going he and Sally turned back and bowed low.

"Thank you for coming." They said with a smile and departed.


	4. Chapter 4: Involvement

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. No matter how much I would have deemed it awesome if I could have thought it up!

Thank you for the reviews and favorites. You keep me up! It drives the writer's block syndrome away hahah

To my readers( Omy gashh I have readers!): Sasuke will appear. I'm just warming up to the story. It has a lot of elements involved in it. But I'll tell you that it's worth the wait. Please enjoy! and Godbless!

Funfact: Time travel is only possible if you can travel greater than the speed of light. But by then you would be completely blind or non-existent. Unless of course multi-universes exist cause by then you'd be transferring to another universe.

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CHAPTER FOUR

INVOLVEMENT

Thick smoke covered the air, making it difficult for anyone to navigate around the area. Fortunately the smoke blinded both parties giving both of them time to strategize. But like any other hot air, the smoke rose giving a clearer view of the place. Without warning, ninjas clashed with ninjas. Weapons flew into the air, some landing on the ground some on human flesh. The fight was so fierce and silent that only an occasional grunt, thud and clang of weapons could be heard.

Both didn't want to give away their location.

When at last the smoke settled, did the gruesome site of bodies lying on the ground and of destroyed buildings was revealed. A man with a scar running from his left eye to his lip stepped out and pulled out a kunai jutting out from a dead man's side.

"Where have they gone, Aiko?" another man addressed the man with a scar.

"They got what they've come here for. Chiro!" Chiro, a man wearing eyeglasses, appeared at Aiko's side. "Check the vault. See if anything is missing."

Turning to the rest of the people standing, he started shouting orders.

"Jiro take some of the men with you and take care of the wounded. Vishna, identify whose dead and whose not. The rest of the men come with me! We'll start burying the dead."

Tents were set up to aid the wounded. They crowded the center market, medical-nins rushing in and out of the tents trying to attend to patients outnumbering them by 3:1.

"Father," Sally rushed to his father, sweating. "The other medical-nins have collapsed. We only have 7 more left to attend to the others."

Jiro looked grimly at the many more unattended townspeople. Most of the people were wounded by the explosion caused by the gas storage nearby the fight. Many got a body part amputated or had pieces of wood or steel lunged on their bodies that had to be surgically removed. And worst of all, their town lacked supplies and trained medical-nins for they were only a town of farmers who kept the food supply up in the capital.

"Sally, go to the store and get the Sleeping Herbs. Give it to those patients with irreparable damages."

"But dad-"

"We can't do anything! This is-"

"Having hard time?" Jiro was interrupted by a woman's voice. Turning around he was met by his visitors earlier this morning.

"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to go?"

"You need help don't you?" Kishi said matter-of-factly.

During this time, the arrival of the hooded figures had already piqued the interest of the rebel leader Aiko. Seeing that they were in friendly terms with the old man Jiro he walked up to them, overhearing their conversation.

"What can you do?" Aiko said, looking them up and down.

"Aiko," Jiro said," we can't have these people involved in our town business. They might get targeted for it. The capital is always watching us." He very well knew of the consequences of letting his costumers aid them. The capital had recently been more active in pursuing the rebel leaders in the town. In fact some assassins had recently killed 5 of their medical-nins and 3 of the strongest of their soldiers.

"The decision is up to them. Are you willing?" Aiko asked.

Sakura smiled.

"We are willing."

* * *

Meijing stooped down to heal a man with a large wound across his back. He was barely breathing but still alive. The heat was starting to get to her. Reaching up, she attempted to remove her hood when a hand stopped her.

"Don't remove it, Meijing." Kiro looked at her with a stern face. "We can't let our village symbol be seen. We might get involve with this civil war going on. I'll take over. You go and rest for a while. "

"But-"

Kiro dismissed her with a smile. His hand glowed a brilliant green as it slowly repaired the damaged tissues.

"Your students are quite tired and I bet you have business to attend to," Jiro remarked after watching the other two. He was helping Sakura clean the wounds of an injured woman.

"Don't worry. They know full well what they are doing. We medical ninjas would never stop until the last man is either healed or died. It is a rule we must follow." Sakura looked at him. She noted the worry in his face. "And as for other businesses, I have already sent the other two to go back to the village with the Snake Vines."

She paused and looked up. For once the old man spied her bright emerald eyes.

"Thank you for caring, Jiro-sama."

Jiro sighed and shook his head. "Fine. I'll let you young ones do whatever you want to do."

"What?!" Aiko screamed. He was talking with Chiro. Jiro beckoned Sakura to come with him. They went up to Aiko.

"What happened?" Jiro asked. This was unusual for Aiko, he usual kept his control.

He reached out and gripped Jiro's shoulder. He towered over the old man by 2 feet.

"They got it Jiro."

Jiro's heartbeat started to rise. "What do you mean? The weapon? But we had buried it in-"

"It's not that! I thought that they were after that too. But I was wrong." He let go and sat on a nearby chair with his face on his hands. "They took all the letters: all the letters that were sent back and forth from our comrades from different bases."

He looked up and Sakura could see the dread in his eyes.

"That Uchiha's going to kill every last one of them."

_Uchiha_

"What do you mean Uchiha?" Sakura asked. So far as she had been alive, only one Uchiha still exists and that was _him_.

Aiko looked around as if he expected someone to suddenly attack them. He invited Sakura and Jiro inside a house but instead of talking there Aiko led them to small room just under the house.

"Since you're already part of this then I should tell you everything." He beckoned his visitors to make themselves comfortable and started telling his tale.

"Five years have past since our daimyo accepted the contract with the Sound Village. He thought that being in league with the village would help improve our defenses from other threats. I know this." He looked up. "because I once was a special ops captain. We all thought the same as the daimyo. But we were wrong. The daimyo put his trust on a young talented man. He helped us win our fights. But just as soon as the daimyo weakened, he tightened his grip on power and eventually got it. He got rid of everyone that got in the way."

"You got away?" Sakura rhetorically said.

Aiko bitterly said. "I would have loved to tell you that, but not exactly. I liked him. He was stronger than our daimyo. He had ambitions. Besides, I thought, the people he killed were corrupt ones. But the more I stayed with him I saw how cruel he could be. He started a training program that made our ninjas stronger," he paused. He remembered the cruel methods that brought out the animalistic side of people. "_and heartless_. I later found out that he had no intention of leading our village. At least not into a future, but into a dark and bloody war. We were only a means to an end-" Aiko was interrupted by a worried- looking Jiro.

Sakura was now looking down, holding her head between her hands. If they could see her face behind her hood, they would have thought that she had lost it. She felt the blood leave her face. She wished she was wrong but if she was right,

_Sasuke could be preparing this village in a war against Konoha. _


	5. Chapter 5: Power Struggle

**Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto.**

This chapter is longer than the previous ones hahaha Treat it as a gift for all those who favorited, followed and reviewed! I read all your reviews and would like to thank all of you for the support! I would place notes on the last part of this story to help you follow on everything. Thank you again and may the good Lord shower all of you with blessings!

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**Chapter Five**

POWER STRUGGLE

"Are you sure about this?" Jiro directed that question to the pink-haired kuniochi. The one-time costumer, or so he thought, was now proposing to stay much longer than they had expected. He didn't know what was happening but he couldn't help but feel glad that they now had a skilled medical ninja on their side.

On the other hand, Sakura was quite alright with Jiro not minding her staying there for a while. And she was more than happy that he didn't ask why. Because if he did she couldn't lie to him and say that it was out of good will because more than anything else it was of guilt. This was no longer their war, it was also hers. Seven days ago her past had come again to dig up old wounds and run-down memories. Now she felt obliged to stay, to try to fix what she could fix. She had sent back Kishi to help back in their village while she stayed here to help. She trusted her students enough to know that their village was in good hands.

Sakura stared at the people busy trying to mend broken houses and salvage what could still be of use. She had come here to get some herbs for an unknown disease that had hit their village and now here she was, facing another kind of battle.

_With who?_ she wondered.

Sasuke. The past. Her conscience. She did not know. All she knew was that these people were suffering because of an irreparable damage they had done to a man that neither time nor friendship could mend.

"What are you doing there by yourself?" she looked to see Aiko handing out a glass of water for her. She smiled, taking it and thanking him. He sat beside her and sighed.

"I really appreciate your help. I really do." Aiko said, looking at her with a worried face. Sakura looked with uncertainty. For the past few days, Aiko had been okay with her staying, but now he didn't sound too happy. She was about to ask what was wrong when he stopped her with a gesture. Sakura followed his hand and found a couple of eyes staring at her.

"But you really are distracting the men!" Aiko exclaimed hysterically, making Sakura blush. She had decided to take off her hood but kept her forehead protector hidden in case men from the capital came.

_I didn't know the color of my hair could be such a distraction, _she silently thought, absentmindedly tugging on her hair.

Aiko noticed the gesture and raised an eyebrow; _the girl completely missed the point._

"Aiko-sama, we have come as ordered," Chiro said. Aiko nodded and excused himself. They both strolled towards the headquarters intent for a private talk. They didn't notice their guest's intense stare after them.

"We've found a base near here. It seemed like they camped instead of proceeding to the capital. Most of them had injuries." Chiro informed Aiko. He had gone under a mission to track down the ninjas that had gotten the letters. Fortunately, one of their trackers had noted the signature chakra of one of the attackers and was able to lead them to the camp.

"Get the men prepared. We are going to take back those letters."

Nodding at the command of his master, Chiro stood up and bowed. Aiko acknowledged Chiro and stood up too, preparing to leave. Chiro opened the door only to find Sakura standing there with a determined gaze in her emerald eyes.

* * *

_Sakura looked at the men intent on knowing what they were up to. Closing her eyes, she pumped up her chakra and focused them around her ears. She had learned the technique during a spy mission. It helped sharpen the sense of hearing._

_"We've found a base near here. It seemed like they camped instead of proceeding to the capital. Most of them had injuries." She heard a slightly high-pitched voice say._

_It was Chiro talking. She had gotten to know the guy because of their little conversations whenever he helped her find her way through the little town. He sometimes reminded her of Shikamaru, detached but friendly._

_"Get the men prepared. We are going to take back those letters."_

_Letters._

_She had remembered Aiko telling her about that. Those were the letters that their other comrades had sent. Those were the people that sent them artilleries and information on the movements in the capital. It also contained reports on the progress of the camps, names of the leaders and spies. The letters were written in codes but knowing the minds that ran in the capital, Aiko had said, it wasn't long until they would crack the code and start hunting everyone down._

_She heard the scuffling sound of boots as a pair of feet got in contact with the ground. She stood up and went to the door. She knew what to do. Emerald eyes watched expectantly as the doorknob twisted._

* * *

"I want to go with you."

Aiko looked at the kunoichi in front of him momentarily, before he walked past her.

"You can't."

"I will go with you. I'm a medical ninja after all."

"What part of- _you can't_- don't you understand?"

"Everything!" Sakura said, exasperated. It felt like she was arguing with her dad.

"Look here," she started, "You would be a fool if you did not bring any medical ninjas with you. In fact it's suicide."

Chiro looked at Aiko and scratched his temple. "She's got a point Aiko-sama," he said meekly.

"Do you understand the implication of what you're telling me?" Aiko stepped forward and grabbed Sakura's arm. She gasped at the force. Reaching out with his left arm he shoved Sakura's sleeves upward revealing her village head protector.

"How did you know?" Sakura asked, alarmed.

"I'm not a captain for nothing. And if you feel responsible for everything that's going on, don't be. It's not your fault that you go in the same village as the man."

"Did he tell you that?"

"Do you think _he_ did?" Sakura stopped but eventually shook her head. Sasuke wasn't the kind that reminisced of past memories.

"I got him checked. It isn't that hard to gouge out information from Sound ninjas, "Aiko snorted.

Sakura nodded. The Sound Ninjas were the followers of Orochimaru: _bad habits were contagious._

"If you knew, then why?" Sakura asked.

Aiko smiled bitterly at the kunoichi. "The promise of power has a weird way of convincing people."

Pausing, she quickly thought up a way to convince her non-too-cooperative companion.

"If that is so," she bent down and picked up a pebble. Aiko looked questioningly at her as she tossed it twice in the air.

"What are you trying to do?" he raised his eyebrows as she pulled back her right arm with the pebble in hand.

"Trying to convince you."

The pebble flew past Aiko's head missing his left cheek by a couple of centimeters and collided with the tree a few feet from him. He ducked as bits of bark came flying from all directions. He turned around to see a perfect hole in the tree's bark.

"How did you-"he gaped at the _delicate_ girl before him.

"You should see what she does with a finger or a fist," Kiro said seeing the spectacle, smiling sheepishly.

He got to stop misjudging people.

Sakura smiled at the surprised look in Aiko's face. Pulling out a handkerchief she gave it to Aiko, who looked oddly at the white cloth.

Sakura pointed at his left cheek, he followed it with a hand.

"Your cheek is bleeding."

* * *

The troop stopped to rest in a clearing. They had been travelling as quietly as possible, pumping chakra into their feet to become faster. Intelligence had told them that more ninjas were sent to the camp to aid the injured ones and to keep an eye out.

Aiko sat on a fallen log. He was discussing their strategic plan with the others.

"The enemies' camp is nearby. As we all know, we're here to retrieve the letters. And as far as I want us to not engage in a full out battle against them, it's hardly plausible."

Everyone nodded except for Sakura and her two students: Meijing and Kiro. They knew the men from the capital very well. They all grew up under the basic instruction that when a battle came, trying was not an option. It was all or nothing.

"We'll first distract them with clones carrying smoke grenades. They'll either attack based on sound or jump up to evade the smoke. We'll get them there, while their busy. Chiro and his tracking team would stay here, communicating with us through these earpieces. He'll be our eyes."

Sakura had found out that Chiro had the same ability as Sai and Deidara. He could make animals with paper but the difference was, he could hear and see with them.

"They're purely for intelligence. I never let them fight my battles." Chiro once had said.

"-The capital picked up Chiro's signature during the battle. They'll sense him if he tries to go near," Aiko finally said, answering everyone's questions and dismissed them.

Men were assigned as a watch out while they waited for night to come.

"What are you doing here, Sakura-hime?" Chiro said with a smile. He had insisted in calling Sakura as a princess, saying that she looked the part. He sat beside Sakura who only laughed.

"You should stop calling me that or I might start believing it," Sakura said gently punching Chiro's arm. He really did remind her of Shikamaru: a drunk Shikamaru. She unconsciously let out a laugh when she remembered the time Shikamaru had gotten drunk and flirted with a shock-stricken Ino.

"I'm starting to rethink the princess title. What do you think of the 'Crazy Girl'? Fits you?" He said mischievously. Sakura was about to retort when a young man sporting a long brown hair approached them with a blank look plastered on his face.

"Chiro, Aiko-sama gives this to you." Chiro accepted it and thanked him with a smile. The boy turned away without a word. Sakura followed his back and turned to Chiro when he was out of earshot.

"Isn't he part of your team? Why doesn't he use any honorific on you?" Sakura asked. She had never seen or talked with the boy.

"Chen, doesn't like me," Chiro said with a sigh.

"What'd you do?" Sakura paused and gasped, putting a hand to her mouth as if she had just realized something. "You couldn't!.. could you?"

Chiro looked confused. "What?"

Sakura pointed an accusing finger at him, "You hit on him, didn't you?"

"Ha…ha…Funny_ . 'Crazy Girl'_"

* * *

Kiro noticed some of the men preparing everything for the attack. He greeted them with a hello, and approached them. The men were placing explosives on their packs.

"What are those?" Kiro questioned, pointing at the small explosives.

"Smoke grenades lad. Haven't you seen them 'round your village?"

Kiro shook his head. "Our fighting style is different from yours."

"Oh." The man smiled but slowly it turned to a frown. He raised his head and started to sniff the air like a dog. "You smell that?"

Kiro sniffed the air detecting a smokey smell but it was faint enough to be ignored. The man turned to his bag and looked at each of the grenades. After he inspected the third one he exclaimed triumphantly and got rid of it.

"The pin was slightly off. We'll get rid of this before it explodes here."

* * *

The former captain looked up into the dimming skyline. The warm air had turned cold, sending chills down his spine. But he wondered if it was really the air that caused such a reaction in him.

Minutes from now they would be engaging the enemy. This was all or nothing. If they failed to retrieve the letters everything that they had worked hard for would all come crashing down. The uprisings would stop and no amount of money or hard work would mend the trust that he had broken by leading the enemy to his companions.

He had underestimated the Uchiha's cunning ways and now, he was paying for it.

"Captain."

Aiko broke from his reverie and looked up to see dark eyes staring wearily at him.

"Chen, what's wrong?"

"I-I," he stuttered.

"What's wrong?" he said more serious now. The young man usually kept his cool. He was one of those indifferent ninjas. Aiko could see the beads of sweat forming on the young man's forehead.

"I-" he was cut off when Chiro suddenly walked up.

"Captain, everyone's ready."

Aiko nodded and turned back to continue his conversation with Chen but he was no longer there.

* * *

Sakura looked around the vicinity. A couple of miles away from them Aiko's men had positioned themselves for the ambush but Sakura's team had stayed behind. Medic ninjas weren't supposed to fight in the front lines. And Aiko had specifically told her to stay away from the battle in case one of the enemies spotted her or any of her team.

_Great, just great._

Sakura gritted her teeth.

_Ugh, I haven't even punched anything since I've arrived here!_

Her strength was going to deteriorate without much use. She rubbed her temples trying to suppress resurfacing habits.

She wasn't the same hot headed teenager that she once was. She's a head medic-nin now for Kami's sake!

…All she can do now is wait.

_Patience, Sakura, patience._

Sakura heard the signal sound just as a hand grabbed her from behind.

* * *

A loud bang was heard before the whole camp was covered by a cloud of smoke. As Aiko had predicted some of the Grass-nins jumped up to get out of the suffocating gas.

Got you. Aiko smirked as he threw multiple kunais at the flightless birds. He hit one ninja right in the chest area. He dropped dead on the floor with a thud. He could see the blood ooze from the kunai jotting out.

It was red.

_"Aiko-sama I can make anything, that your former daimyo had promised, a possibility. Prosperity, peace, …power," He looked at Aiko, emphasizing the last word. The young man's eyes swirled a brilliant red, the color of the power that flowed through his veins._

_"What do you want in return?" Aiko asked. Not because he didn't know. He just wanted to hear it directly from the man._

_The Uchiha smiled. The bait had taken its bite and slowly he pulled at the string._

_"Your loyalty._"

* * *

Sally looked at the bloody mess they had caused on the camp. They had ambushed them at night. Bodies were laying lifeless on the ground totaling to twelve. He scrunched his nose.

He detested the smell of death.

Stepping back, he went to his father. His father Jiro, was helping the others look for the letters.

"Dad, have you found anything?" he peered from his father's shoulder as the old man ransacked one of the tents in an attempt to find the said letters.

"Go look for it Sally! Stop standing around there." He said shooing his son away. Sally was going to whine but thought back on it once he saw that the others had joined in the search. Sally turned back and lifted the cover of the entrance to the tent. Dull blue eyes looked for any possible hiding place for the letters.

"Sally."

Sally looked at the figure in the name of Vishna. She pointed at his arm with a frown.

"Get that gash healed. It looks disgusting," she said and walked away. Sally looked at the gash that revealed damaged tissues. It did look a tad bit disturbing.

So he searched again, this time not for the letters but for a beautiful pink-haired kunoichi .

_I can't find them here. It's safe already, so why aren't they here? ,_ he thought quietly to himself.

"I found it!"

Everyone turned to look. It was Aiko, triumphantly holding a bundle of papers in his hands. He ran to their captain to get a closer look and noticed that they were all out of their respective envelopes. He must have looked quite fearful for Aiko to assure him hurriedly.

"They never had time to decode it," he said causing Sally's erratic heartbeat to go back to its initial pulse rate.

"Okay! We've got what we've been looking for. Get whatever material or weapon you can find and then we'll start heading back to the camp!"

True enough, the men took as much as they could from the destroyed camp of the capital men, including weapons, medical kits and some things that could be sold for a good price. Jiro was grinning from ear to ear, patting his tall and buffy son on his back.

"We got 'em good Sally."

Sally turned to smile back at his father. But as he turned his head, the waft of smoke caught his nose.

"What happened?" his father grew pale.

Sally looked and looked. Possible situations were racing through his mind of why their camp had been pulverized to the ground and comrades lay on the ground as lifeless as the men from the capital. His hands grew slack on his sides.

No tent stayed on its place. Everything was scorched to the ground. The smell of smoke still lingered on the air. All the trackers from their team were there, unmoving. They all looked like they were in agony, as if they carried a dreadful secret to the grave.

"Captain, there's one who's still moving!"

They ran to the injured man, he had a deep wound on his side caused by a shuriken.

"It's Chiro." Sally called out his name, as if the man would drift to sleep anytime. Chiro slowly opened his eyes, a little dazed.

"Aid him!"

* * *

Aiko paced back and forth. A few feet from him Chiro lay after being treated by one of his men. Sakura's team was nowhere to be found. His feet faltered when he heard the man move. He scurried to the man, ushering him to stay still. Chiro was like a son to him.

"Captain, I'm fine." He weakly smiled.

"Chiro, what happened?" The said man was taken aback as if he dreaded the question. His eyes wandered, looking for a way out. Aiko reached out and held him by the shoulder.

"Tell me." Aiko said. It was a command.

Chiro opened his mouth and answered. "We were attacked….. by other Grass-nins."

"That's impossible they didn't know-" he stopped, he felt something at the pit of his stomach.

"Who was it?"

Aiko saw Chiro's fist clench.

"It was Chen."

* * *

"Chen."

"Sakura-chan, please help me."

* * *

**So far you have met:**

**Sakura: currently 26 years old**

**Kishi: female assistant of Sakura (20)**

**Meijing: female brunette medic-student (20)**

**Kiro: male medic-student(21)**

**Jiro: Herbalist, father to Sally, and knows basic first aid**

**Sally: Son of Jiro, knows basic first aid, has dull blue eyes**

**Chiro: Has power similar to Sai, Part of the Intel and a tracker**

**Chen: has long brown-hair and dark eyes, stoic**


	6. Chapter 6: Conflicting Loyalties

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Naruto.**

I know it took long so I forced myself to finish this chapter. I think it's quite long. And the plot thickens from here. I died while writing this. Too much exposure to radiation makes me sick. Anyway, I'd be going to college soon so I think my updates will become slower since I'd be studying far away but I won't abandon this. Writing is my passion. Thank you for the patience. I love you guys huhuhuhu

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

**CONFLICTING LOYALTIES**

The usually calm demeanour of the herbalist was betrayed by the occasional sigh he let out as he strolled towards the tent where the captain and the injured Chiro should be residing. After the turn of events, Sally had started moping around in the corner of the tent that the men had stolen from the enemy camp. Though big of a man, Jiro knew the fragile and sensitive heart that lay beneath all that layers of muscle and fat.

It was a character that a ninja couldn't afford to possess.

That was why he was torn.

_To be a father?...Or a ninja? What role should I take?_

He shook his head. His now grey coloured hair mildly swaying with the his mind reeling with thoughts on the object of his son, he hadn't realized that he had arrived to his desired location until he heard voices inside.

He was about to turn back to give them privacy when Aiko's agitated voice stilled him in his spot.

_"Tell me." _

There was pause. What was Chiro hesitating for?

_"We were attacked….. by other Grass-nins."_

_"That's impossible they didn't know-" _

Jiro's eyes widened as he caught up with Aiko and Chiro's exchange. He dreaded the next question that he knew would come and the answer that would follow it.

"_Who was it?"_

"_It was Chen"_

* * *

_It was Chen_

That statement seemed to resound in Aiko ears. He felt his strength leave him as he grope for something to steady himself with.

"Why?" He heard himself utter in shock, in grief. He was at loss for words.

_Why would he do such a thing?_

Aiko covered his face with his hands, unable to bear the betrayal.

"That's impossible!" Aiko didn't have time to react as Jiro barged inside the tent.

"I understand what you feel." He didn't have the energy to be polite enough to greet his senior. "But we have to accept the fact that friends won't always remain friends,"Aiko said in a whisper, unable to talk directly to the old man. He didn't fully believe what he said. He didn't want to.

"You don't understand, Aiko. Chen would never do such a thing. Chen is my student-"

"And Chiro is like my son. He would never lie to me." Aiko stood up and attempted to step in front of Jiro but the older man put a hand to stop him. "Jiro, I think we've had enough for one day."

Everything fell into deaf ears as Jiro took a kunai in his pocket and pointed it threateningly at the paralyzed young man on the bed as if he could jump at him any time.

"Do you remember why I told you to never let Chen go into battle and insisted that he stay back as an operator and tracker in the background?"

Aiko sighed tiredly. "No, you never told me the reason. I just assumed that it was something personal so I never asked. I've always trusted your judgement."

"Then trust me when I tell you that it's for a good reason. You see," he trailed, "Chen is allergic to potassium chlorate. Exposure to large amounts of it can cause him rashes while high dosages can be toxic to him. "

"Potassium chlorate? But that's-"

"-the main ingredient for making smoke grenades. The whole camp smelled of it when we entered. Chen wouldn't be so foolish as to surround himself in something that could kill him."

* * *

"Hurry up!" Sakura shouted at the fumbling medic. She was being harsh but it was just taking too long.

"Don't go to sleep, Chen," she gritted her teeth as she tapped him in the cheek. His eyes were starting to daze over. She looked on worriedly at the rashes on his skin and his shallow breathing. No, scratch that, he was wheezing to death.

She heard the medic exclaim in triumph as the antihistamine drug was handed over to her. With fast reflexes she grabbed for the syringe and injected the drug on his arm. Sakura felt a small percentage of her worries lifted off from her shoulders.

"Allergies done." She wiped the sweat from her brow as she stared at the gaping hole on his stomach. Her hand glowed a brilliant green just above the open wound.

_Gaping hole here we go._

* * *

"But Aiko-sama I would never do such a thing!" Chiro tried to stand up but grunted. Aiko was about to run up to him out of instinct but Jiro put him in his place.

"Don't let your emotions cloud over good reasoning." Aiko clenched his fist, looking confused but he stood his ground.

"Aiko-sama…." Chiro looked at him pleadingly but Aiko turned his eyes away.

Then, Chiro _chuckled._

"Really. You make my life so complicated Jiro-_sama," _he said mockingly, clucking his tongue."Potassium chlorate? I thought he was just too weak. He surely seemed like it when I blew a hole into his stomach."

His eyes took on a look of malice; one that Aiko never knew was behind those usually kind brown eyes. Jiro gripped his kunai tighter as Chiro sat up as if he had no injuries.

"It's not me you should be worried about. You know I could have never done it by myself."

With that said, there was another explosion as smoke covered the whole camp and blurred their vision. The explosion seemed to have come from different parts of the camp since the cloud didn't settle for such a long time.

Jiro looked on warily at the cloud of smoke surrounding him, listening intently for suspicious sounds.

Then there it was.

He leaned back just enough to avoid a kunai from hitting him head on. It missed him in a hair's breath. He reached out just as a hand popped out of nowhere. Gripping it tightly he used it as a leverage as he back flipped in mid-air, successfully twisting it making an awful cracking sound. He heard the man groan in pain.

The old man landed in a crouched position and backed away from the attacker as the concealing effects of the smoke wore off. His eyes widened a fraction as he took in the familiar face of the ninja before him.

"Why?" Jiro asked in disbelief. The man staggered to stand up, cradling his broken arm.

"Our resistance is futile."

* * *

Aiko clutched his bleeding side as he backed away from Chiro and at the large crater he had created after the punch missed Aiko and –instead- landed on the ground. He never knew Chiro could become this strong in such a short span of time without him noticing. Except for that one time...

"So the Uchiha did this? He's just using you for his own benefit, Chiro."

Chiro smirked. "I don't care. You should try it Aiko-sama, it feels fulfilling. The unadulterated power surging through your veins."

He paused tapping his chin in thought. "In fact, I should show you a demonstration. Close and personal."

Aiko felt the environment around him grow cold as water accumulated beside Chiro and took on the shape of a crane. Chiro had the ability to turn water into animals, but he needed a close source of water. The closest lake was miles away.

"That's impossible."

"I can make use of water vapour now thanks to Uchiha-sama. He told me I had potential for greatness. A thing that none of you weaklings ever noticed."

"What are you talking about Chiro? The people admired you!"

"Admired? Have you seen the disappointed glances? The murmurs?"

_I bet he only got in because he's Aiko's adopted son. _

_What a waste._

"I'm tired of getting identified with you, of being called weak and always being in the background! I hate them. I hate those people." He started biting his nails and looked at Aiko. His eyes revealing the veiled existence of a disturbed mind. "I hate you. You never did anything. You could have shut them up. Closed their mouths for good." He hysterically laughed. "You told me you'd protect me. I knew I should have listened to the voices. They told me you were a liar. Just like my old ma and pa."

"_Aiko, are you sure about this?" The doctor looked at him and the child behind the sound proof glass. "He has gone through a traumatic experience, growing up with abusive and neglectful parents. He shows some signs of schizophrenia as well. He said they were telling him to kill his parents or they were going to kill him. He's too young to go to jail and his mental instability prevents him from taking direct cause of the murder. Are you still willing?"_

_Aiko nodded as he stared at the little boy sitting stock still and staring blankly at the cube on the table._

"_He'll need to be exposed in an environment where he is loved and cared for. He'll have to take constant medication to suppress the symptoms of schizophrenia. And," she turned warily at Aiko, "There might come a time he'd want to be part of the trade. Don't let him do the killing. Once a man -no matter how young- experiences how to kill, it never leaves him."_

_The doctor reached out and turned the knob of the door to the adjoining room. Smiling, she waved at the little boy as he was gently nudged towards the two adults._

"_Chiro this is your new dad."_

_Aiko crouched down to the young boy's height and patted him in the head. He stared directly at empty brown eyes that looked blankly at him._

"_I'll protect you, that's a promise."_

"You lied! So now you'll become like them." The crane opened its wings and slowly turned to ice. "It's amazing isn't it. It's part of the power package."

It lunged in the air and swooped towards him.

"Goodbye Aiko-sama."

Aiko closed his eyes as he felt ice shards rip through his body. But he didn't feel the fall.

"Chiro!"

There was pause as he felt himself lifted off the ground. "You'll be fine Aiko-sama," said a familiar voice, Aiko identified as Kiro.

"Let's play a little game. The person who makes the biggest crater wins."

"Sakura-hime! Nice to see you again. Crater? Are you sure about that? I wasn't even using much force when I created _that_."

"No. I'd do better than that."

BOOM!

Aiko could hear the ground below crumble. Just a few feet from him he heard a high-pitched scream but was instantly swallowed up.

"I win."

* * *

"Kiro hold him by the shoulders."

Aiko felt two arms clasp him by the shoulders. He screamed as he felt the shards pulled out from his body. It felt excruciating.

"He's bleeding bad, Sakura-chan." It sounded like Sally.

"Here's some cloth."

"Thanks Meijing." He felt a smooth material against his skin. Slowly he tried to open his eyes but he could only hold it for a few seconds as the sharp pain rocked his body again.

But before he did he saw a mixture of blue and red hanging by Sakura's neck.

* * *

Two days later...

A young man with raven hair and piercing obsidian eyes stared piercingly at his subjects as they kneeled before his piercing gaze. His face was a bit angular further emphasizing his good looks.

"So you failed?" He deadpanned, sending shivers of fear as they nodded.

Smiling, he called out for the guards. "Take them to the salon. You've had such a rough day."

The men stood up stiffly, hesitating as they were led out of the door.

"Jugo." A muscular man appeared before him. "Take good care of them."

Jugo nodded and left the room.

"So what are we gonna do about that town Sasuke? Want me to go there myself?" said a silver-haired man with jagged teeth. His eyes dancing with mischief.

"You don't need to. I'm sending someone else. Call Ichijou-sama."

Suigetsu grumbled as he involuntarily obeyed and called for the man. Minutes later a man with a happy disposition and a round belly stood before the daimyo.

"Ichijou-sama I would like you to go to Senka town. I'm particularly worried of the townspeople there. Just keep your affiliation with me a secret, they are still reluctant of my lordship status. And I'm worried that you will go in harm's way if our relationship is discovered."

Sasuke Uchiha smiled.

Suigetsu shivered at the sight. He liked it better when the man talked in monosyllables, instead of sentences. Because when he did, there were always some cryptic meanings behind it. The Uchiha was a cruel manipulator, bending his personality for his advantage. The worst part was, unless you knew the man well, one would never know of the cruel and heartless man behind the facade.

"Well do, Uchiha-sama. I'm sure the people would soon warm up to you and get to know how much you care for the people," Ichijou smiled, kind eyes disappearing as he smiled.

_What a fool_, Suigetsu looked pitifully at the old man. _He doesn't even know he's working as a spy, instead of being a concerned citizen. _

He looked pointedly at Sasuke and shook his head.

_That man is as vicious and sly as a snake._

* * *

Sakura uncomfortably shifted in her seat as Aiko and Jiro assessed her with calculating eyes. It had been four days since the incident and both men had recovered from their injuries. Chen, on the other hand, was in a comatose state.

She thought it would all end there but she thought wrong.

"So tell me," Aiko stood up and looked out the window, "What's an Uchiha symbol doing dangling around your neck?"

Sakura opened her mouth, but closed it again when no coherent thought came to her. Aiko asked her again.

"I got it from a friend," she said beating around the bush.

"From which Uchiha did you get it from?"

When she gave no indication that she would answer, Aiko spoke up.

"So I was wrong when I thought that you were just of the same village with the Uchiha. So what's your relationship with him? His lover?"

Sakura gasped and stood up. "Th-that's impossible. Sasuke wouldn't even care if I died before him."

It was hard for her to say that, but the truth always hurts.

Aiko turned to him, his expression dead serious.

"Then explain to me so I can understand why you're wearing an Uchiha clan's betrothal necklace."

* * *

Cause I thought it would be unfair if all Sasuke said was 'Hn'. Since he's a daimyo now, he should at least learn from Orochimaru of how to rule with deceit. He is more cruel and cold this way. If he acted like a normal Sasuke would he won't be able to accomplish his goals cause everyone would be against him. Sooooooo this chapter tackles the issue of the rules of the ninja world, relationship vs duty, loyalties, the effects of civil war and bad parenting (hahaha) and etc. The Senka Village and the Capital is a two day journey if one walked.


	7. Chapter 7: The Necklace

**A/N: Hello guys! I've been on a bout of mini-depression cause I'd be going to college this year. ON MY OWN. Staying at a dorm. Ughh I hate filling up forms! It's worse than taking a test- although not more worse than a math test-!**

**I have questions.**

**1.) How do you post stories at a community? Or join them?**

**Thank you for your support people! Namely crazymel2008, SakuraYui and YuiHaine Thanks for your support and patience! :) **

**I'm still very happy for all your love! T_T**

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**THE NECKLACE**

"Eh?" It wasn't merely an expression of bafflement anymore, it expressed the dread she felt course through her veins at the seemingly harmless word that flew out of Anko's lips.

Sakura was dumfounded. Her IQ just left the room, tripped in the stairs and died at the door.

Betroth. A word that meant a promise of_ marriage_.

"What are you talking about?" She looked at Jiro pleadingly, asking him to elaborate in words that she would understand.

Jiro raised an eyebrow at her reaction. He expected her to deny, get angry or straight out give up and confess. Instead, she looked confused.

"That necklace you're wearing," he said pointing at the said necklace that glinted when it got hit by the sun's rays. " -is an heirloom to every Uchiha male. It became lost along with the Uchiha clan when the massacre happened. Back in the days, the Uchiha placed great importance on that piece of jewellery along with its wearer. Because Uchiha's longed to preserved their bloodline, they had to carefully pick a partner that would ensure a potential heir. But because they were a threat to other clans, their partners were usually killed by an assassin since killing the Uchiha himself was risky business."

He paused, waiting for Sakura to respond. She wordlessly nodded, indicating for him to continue. And for a second, Jiro wondered if anything that he was saying was getting through to her.

"Because of this the elders decided that an identification should be necessary. So they decided on a necklace with the Uchiha symbol to be put on all fiancée of the Uchiha's."

At this he heard a small choking sound and smiled.

"But-but wouldn't that mean that they'd be more prone to killing?"

This time Aiko answered him. "They were too scared to have the whole Uchiha clan against them."

Sakura nodded grudgingly to herself having decided that it actually made sense. One Uchiha was enough, having a whole band of them was out of the question. Biting her lips she asked again, "Can't I just, you know, take it off?"

There was a long silence in the room as the question was pondered over. "Well actually," she heard Jiro hesitantly say as if thinking over his words, "We have other plans for that."

Before he could further explain, she felt herself tense sensing ahead of time that whatever was going to be said was not going to be the least bit appealing to her.

"_It will protect you." _

A somewhat deep and silky voice uttered in her head. If this was what _that _Uchiha in the other dimension thought of protection he was missing a lot of screws in that pretty little head of his. 'Cause right now Sakura Haruno, medic extraordinaire with monstrous strength was feeling anything but protected.

She was sick at the pits of her stomach, vaguely wondering if this was that Sasuke's idea of matchmaking. She proceeded on thinking various of ways to get back to that other world, march to the Uchiha Compound and make sure he had zero potential of rearing an Uchiha heir.

_Besides they have plenty of Uchihas there_, she thought darkly with satisfaction.

She was cut off from her evil thoughts when Jiro spoke up.

"But first and foremost, Sakura." Looking up Sakura met Jiro's kind eyes, "I would like you to meet my wife."

* * *

With her eyes closed, Sakura could hear the rustle of fabric on her left and the uncanny sound of something being sprayed on her hair. She scrunched up her nose as she caught a whiff of cosmetics and perfume entangled in the air.

"Purple or Blue?" she heard one of the make-up artists say. Tapping the chair in thought, she gave up imagining herself with both and ended up telling the woman that she preferred the natural look.

"Smoky silver then."

True enough, seconds later she felt the soft bristles of a brush on her closed eyelids. She would have to get used to the feeling of make up after this. Unlike her sensei ,who secretly enjoyed the title of being one of the most beautiful women in the shinobi world, back when she was a chuunin she never had the nerve to apply make up in order to look feminine. It just didn't work for her. Not even a lipstick had grazed her lips. And now she was feeling the full onslaught of it. It felt sticky and uncomfortable to say the least. Unfit for a ninja and a medic such as herself.

But right now she was playing neither of the roles.

Reaching up she attempted to scratch a particularly itchy part of her nose only to be harshly swatted away.

"It'll ruin your make-up honey."

Grumbling to herself, she unwantedly put back her hands on her lap.

This was harder than going on a mission. At least she didn't have to worry about ruining her make-up with every movement and she could scratch her nose whenever she wanted to.

But she couldn't complain now she had brought this upon herself. However indirectly that is.

She felt a slight tug on her on her hair as the girl beside her twirled it, in what she guessed as a bun, and fixed it in place with a kind of hairpiece.

"Open your eyes."

Slowly opening them, she stared at her gawking reflection. Her mostly free flowing hair, she had let her hair grow out after she graduated from her apprenticeship from Tsunade, was now in a neat bun, little pieces of hair dangling to frame her face as side bangs. It emphasized the shape of her face making them sharper and noticeable. Her lips were of light pink colour, making them look full in a natural way. Her emerald eyes seemed to have become bigger with the eyeliner and the light silver eye shadow.

"You look stunning my dear. Not that you were any less so without the make-up but this is simply," an elderly woman walked up from behind her. Aiko had introduced her by the name of Mei, the one responsible for her transformation and the beloved wife of Jiro. Jiro had said that Sally had taken after his mother and as Sakura looked at the other reflection on the mirror she saw the same kind blue eyes staring back at her.

"Well then up you go." Mei gently nudged her on the shoulder. Smiling to herself as she smoothed the imaginary creases of her red kimono. It had embossed golden petals that matched perfectly with the deep crimson colour of the traditional wear. She wore flower-shaped pearl earrings that looked quite elegant. And on her neck visibly hang the Uchiha necklace as it peeked through the small cleavage of the kimono.

Folding her hands neatly in front of her like a proper lady she slowly walked towards the veranda where Aiko and Jiro were waiting for her. She slightly clenched the fabric of the kimono underneath her folded hands as the sound of murmurs reached her ears. She faltered on her step.

Mei seeing Sakura before her slightly stumble, held her arm in comfort, squeezing them so that she would now that she was there. Green eyes met her, fear apparent in them. They were a foot away from the closed wooden doors that would lead them to company.

Sakura nodded and took a step forward to open the door.

"Announcing the arrival of Sakura Haruno." Came an unfamiliar voice just outside the door. The door creaked open and the faces of a multitude came across her vision.

"Fiancée of our daimyo, Uchiha Sasuke."

The crowd turned to each other in whispers. One man to her left had pulled the arm of his wife and children so that they could leave. Many people looked peeved, some in confusion while a number of them looked at her in awe.

She knew the thoughts that passed their minds.

_Why is she here?_

_Fiancée? Does that mean everything is okay?_

_Are we going to get killed?_

_Is she here to discuss peace?_

Biting her lips in agitation she waited for Aiko to step forward and speak. Besides these was all their idea not hers. She mentally scolded herself. Why did she ever agree to this in the first place?

Aiko stepped forward and held a hand halting them in their activities.

"I know that you are all weary. So let me explain. Our village and the capital have been enemies for so long. We have lost so many men. And recently we had just recovered from an attack. I know the hatred that you bear for the capital, I too feel the same way."

The people shouted and pumped their fist in the air and shouted, "Down with the capital."

Sakura could feel the sweat trickle on her brow so she kept her eyes fixed at a leaf lying motionless at a roof just straight ahead.

Aiko held up his hand. "But we can no longer continue this kind of fight. The capital will keep sending back-ups, never dwindling in arms or in soldiers. Sadly, we are at our limits. It is foolhardy for us to continue doing so without support." He said grimly.

"Capture the wretch then and put her up for ransom!" one man proposed. Many other villagers seemed to agree.

"No,"Aiko continued. "We still have our honor and besides ,is this woman not familiar to you?"

Aiko inwardly smiled when he saw some of the men in the crowd blush. The chattering had sprung up again, unmistakably by people who had remembered the pink-haired medic who helped them.

"She is the head medic of the team that lent a hand in saving most of you, your husband, wives, and children; your love ones. She has been a valuable asset to our town for the small time she has stayed here. She has been my companion and had saved me from battle. I would have died if she had not interfered. As a shinobi of my rank", he turned and faced Sakura. "-my life is in your hands."

There was resounding gasps from the ground below.

"But she is the enemy's wife! What if this is all a trap? She'll get us killed!"

"Yeah!" A man with a round belly and a thick moustache rose up. "She is only the daimyo's wife. No matter how much she wants to help us, will that sway his decisions?"

The crowd quieted.

Sakura observed Aiko's unreadable expression: but the sparkle in his eyes gave it away.

"Finally somebody got the point across. "she heard him mutter under his breath.

"Good question." Slightly turning towards her direction, he beckoned her to step forward. Nodding in retaliation, she took three steps forward letting them bask in her appearance. Now the spotlight was on her.

"It can't be." Sakura looked down to see the rather pudgy man gawk at her. "The necklace."

"That is right. To all who do not know, she is the bearer of the last Uchiha necklace. And thus," Aiko looked down and met the eyes of the man, "- her word is as law as the daimyo's. And because of that-"

Everyone seemed to watch on warily as he stooped on his knees before her. She looked at him bewildered; this was not part of the plan! "My loyalty is with you. And as the leader of this town so shall my people."

Viridian eyes widened in shock, as all the townspeople kneeled down before her. They were first hesitant, but eventually all the people had done so.

She felt a shiver run at her spine when she saw the shock plastered across the 'pudgy' man she had dubbed earlier. He was the last one to kneel.

_Ugh, I smell trouble in the air. And it's not a very pleasing smell._

* * *

She was not pleased.

Aiko could see the future wife of the daimyo's displeasure emanating from her in dark waves. She had her arms crossed coupled with a frown on her young and beautiful face. He sighed at the verbal assault he felt coming. This was no way for a notable man as him, not to mention older, to be greeted.

"What the hell was that! You-you told me that you'll tell them , only, that everything's going to be okay! That with me around your village the Uchiha would surely keep his hands off momentarily! I don-"

Aiko cut her off, "that's exactly what I did."

"Technically. But do you know the implication of telling them my word is as equal of the daimyo's? I was prepared to act out the mere wife-figure! At least if some people from the capital attacked I would get to have the excuse that I don't have a grip on his decisions!" she huffed, the shouting getting the toll on her.

"That's exactly why they were pondering of putting you in ransom. The people thought you were only a baby-making machine."

Sakura was taken a back and was about to open her mouth but thought back on it.

"I am sorry about this but I took the chance to make everything work. Do you know why the others joined Chiro in his betrayal?"

Sakura shook his head. Sadness clear on her expressive viridian eyes.

"It was because they couldn't find the security they wanted. They thought we had no chance against the capital-which is true at the moment- that's why we don't want any more of our shinobis thinking it fit to betray one another. Even if it's just a reassurance from now that peace evident, it is more than enough."

"You don't know the power that is now at the tip of your fingers because of the necklace around your neck. As long as they know you are with us, the people won't rebel. And besides," the captain turned to the girl who had become silent, "Our loyalty lies with you not with the daimyo. The people will fight for you. All they need is a powerful figure-head. Once a leader is installed, what he is eventually is reflected on his people."

"But Aiko you are their leader."

"Not anymore." He smiled.

"This will never work. I'm not fit to lead a whole town."

"Sakura, right now" Aiko put his hands on her shoulders "you are probably the second most powerful person in the whole Grass Village."

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha was never pleased of games. Especially ones he did not devise. And right now as he is staring at the face of one of his subordinates who had just come from his annual 'visits' at Senka town, beaming and congratulating him, he was particular not having a good mood.

"I had my doubts at first. But then I saw the Uchiha necklace. Pardon me, for having second thoughts. I thought it was again one of those girls that were pretending to be your concubine's Uchiha-sama," Ichijiou bowed lower in apology.

"I could have never found a better candidate for a wife, Uchiha-sama. She is indeed very beautiful. I can understand why you have kept her from us," he said good-naturely.

And this was a particular game he wanted to end soon.

"Ichijou-san."

The said man looked up. "Yes Uchiha-sama?"

"Bring my fiancée here."

* * *

**A/N: Thank for the favorites: 24JadeGuns, Chidori Ai, Leannerose, aalc95, and seti31**

**I'm finding it hard to make the chapters longer. I get stuck on 7 pages. I'm so sorry. **


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